REGGIO CALABRIA – In the pitch dark Monday night, the Italian Coast Guard rescued 573 migrants from two overloaded fishing boats in worsening weather conditions, announced the search and rescue team.

 The rescue operations took place in Italian search and rescue waters, some 70 miles off Capo Spartivento. 

 The migrants were rescued by three Coast Guard patrol boats and then transferred to a larger ship, operated by Diciotti, with medical personnel on board.

 A dead body was discovered on one of the fishing vessels. According to the rescued migrants, this person had died a few days before.

 One of the rescued migrants was in need of immediate medical attention, and so was rushed to the port of Roccella Jonica on one of the patrol boats that had taken part in the rescue.

 Among the number, 59 minors were saved, many of them unaccompanied.

 The Diciotti ship is currently heading towards the port of Augusta, where all the rescued people will be disembarked.

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